Are we really THAT rare?

GeneV · 07-07-2015, 07:28 PM

Originally posted by lgbalfa

to the average person, pentax is considered inferior to canon and nikon, that is just a fact.

I'm not so sure of this. The average person has no clue about Pentax and does not pretend to. The average Canon or Nikon owner who was told that by a salesperson at a store which did not carry Pentax may say that. I have heard just as many others describe it as an oddball enthusiast camera....the way they see Leica.

In my age group, I run into a lot of folks who used Pentax equipment years ago, liked it and just wonder what happened to the company that made it seem to disappear.

Last edited by GeneV; 07-07-2015 at 07:40 PM.

neostyles · 07-07-2015, 08:55 PM

Originally posted by npc

Now that K3II has built in gps - someone should write an app that displays where are all the pentaxians in real time

It could work like the thing in x men that finds other mutants.

**grhazelton** · 07-11-2015, 01:11 PM

Visited with grandkids at the Atlanta History Center Friday. Wandered the grounds, and had a good time despite the heat. A woman in her late 50s or early 60s carrying a Canon DSLR offered to take our picture, I agreed, she asked "Canon or Nikon? My answer "Pentax" seemed to surprise her, but she did well. I don't recall seeing any other real cameras during our visit. And so it goes.....

Zafar Iqbal · 07-12-2015, 04:49 AM - **4 Likes**

Not rare enough, I'd say!

Pentax Rd by ED HELMS, on Flickr

matt_lin18 · 07-12-2015, 06:56 PM

Originally posted by Zafar Iqbal

Not rare enough, I'd say!

Pentax Rd by ED HELMS, on Flickr

That's amazing. A neighborhood where all the streets are named after camera brands.

Quote from the image description on original Flickr post.

"About 30 minutes from where I live, there is a neighborhood where the streets are named after camera brands, including, Pentax Road, Leica Lane and Minolta Drive, Not the best neighborhood but thought it was cool find."

Edit: I found the Google Maps link for the neighborhood.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pentax+Rd,+West+Columbia,+SC+29172/@33.891...b518d864457e23

mee · 07-12-2015, 07:25 PM

That is a rough looking neighborhood.. I would suspect there are no Pentax owners on Pentax Rd. And, furthermore, if you carried your Pentax alongside Pentax Rd. you may make someone there the first Pentax 'owner.' hehe

---------- Post added 07-12-15 at 09:28 PM ----------

Titusville, FL: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pentax+Ave,+Titusville,+FL+32796/@28.62833...46ee1682f9fa29

Huntsville, AL: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pentax+Dr,+Huntsville,+AL+35806/@34.742640...9e0fcbf194faaf

ZombieArmy · 07-12-2015, 08:53 PM

I remember when I went to the Lantern Festival at the Morikami Japanese Garden last year in Florida I got a few compliments on my K-01. I also ran into a guy using a film camera, I believe it was a spotmatic.

plooksta · 07-14-2015, 04:19 PM

I was ringside at the tour de france a couple of days ago with the K5. Opposite me was a gentleman with a K30 (why did that one die out so quickly?). The big pro on the motorbike had a couple of D4s though and some seriously heavy lenses. Pretty much every time I go out and about in busy places I usually see at least one pentax although I'm not especially looking out for them. Usually looking for photos lol!

(On a side note, I also shoot with Olympus and Fuji and have noticed a few more Olympus around and quite a lot more Fujis now, especially the XT1)

wolfiegirl · 07-14-2015, 04:28 PM

Originally posted by plooksta

I was ringside at the tour de france a couple of days ago with the K5. Opposite me was a gentleman with a K30 (why did that one die out so quickly?). The big pro on the motorbike had a couple of D4s though and some seriously heavy lenses. Pretty much every time I go out and about in busy places I usually see at least one pentax although I'm not especially looking out for them. Usually looking for photos lol!

(On a side note, I also shoot with Olympus and Fuji and have noticed a few more Olympus around and quite a lot more Fujis now, especially the XT1)

I also notice lots of olympus cameras about. In fact the photography course I took that was full of canikons - the instructor had a mirrorless olympus as his backup. It looked pretty swish too. Much more stylish and compact than the k-01. I have no idea what model it was.

**jva59** · 07-17-2015, 05:33 AM

Just returned to Toronto from three weeks in Britain and Germany. I had a pleasant chat with a young woman working at the London Review of Books Books shop (a terrific book store and the attached cafe offers respite from the hurly-burly of London) about her Pentax, with which she was shooting pictures of an event at the shop.I think I espied a Pentax or two amidst the sea of Canons and Nikons wielded by tourists in London, but the real surprise came while I was in Berlin and Potsdam, where I saw at least three Pentax shooters, two within ten minutes at Sans Souci in Potsdam!

Zafar Iqbal · 07-17-2015, 06:34 AM

A newspaper here has a guide about the best dSLR cameras for vacation. They tested 4 and K-S2 is one of them. Sweet - Need a subscription to be able to see the guide though though:

Nyt kamera til ferien? Her er de bedste spejlrefleks- kameraer - Elektronik | www.bt.dk

SininStyle · 07-18-2015, 06:37 AM

There seem to be a lot of people here with a LOT of experience with cameras. Some of you go pretty far back and can remember the days of old.
Normally I would say this is a great thing to have. In this case I think it has created some blinders for some.
As a complete "noob" to all things DSLR I can honestly say I have seen only one Pentax commercial, Ad, or flyer, and it was linked on this forum.
When I first started looking and researching cameras it took a month before I had even heard the brand Pentax. This was while searching slickdeals for recent sales to gauge the costs to get into photography. I quickly disregarded Pentax as a no name cheap throw away brand.
With out pros using them or commercials running people simply have no idea and ignore it completely. Even before getting to the spec sheet they are lost.
I almost bought a d3300 but then spotted the white k-50. That white body was enough for me to stop and research Pentax. The deeper I got and more I learned the more I was sold.
If Pentax would just spend some money, just once, roll out commercials for a little while. It might be enough to hard wire the next generation of good old boys knowing the difference between the best choice and the common choice.

**Mikesul** · 07-18-2015, 06:41 AM

Over the past few months Pentax ads have been appearing occasionally in several of the photo magazines, generally pushing the 645Z or medium range ASP-C cameras. I do not recall seeing an ad for the K-3. We all agree that Pentax should advertise more but that is a decision Pentax marketing seems unwilling to make.

Trey45 · 07-18-2015, 06:52 AM

At this weeks Camera Club meeting we had a guest speaker, a certified professional photographer who is one merit away from being a master(This is what he told us and explained what it all meant). I asked if he used full frame or medium format cameras, he said he always uses FF but when he needs to use a MF he rents one. I asked if he ever used a Pentax 645Z MF camera, he asked me "Does Pentax still make cameras?" I had to walk away from him at that point. I simply could not take a "Certified Professional Photographer" seriously after being asked that question by one.

mee · 07-18-2015, 07:23 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Trey45

I asked if he ever used a Pentax 645Z MF camera, he asked me "Does Pentax still make cameras?" I had to walk away from him at that point. I simply could not take a "Certified Professional Photographer" seriously after being asked that question by one.

Decades of not seriously marketing in this country is the reason for this.. I had a somewhat similar experience when talking cameras with my ophthalmologist who just bought a Canon setup.. I said I shoot with Pentax and his response was (paraphrasing) I remember them back in the 70s, I didn't know they were still around. hahaha

I think if Ricoh put the money up to start advertising Pentax cameras on TV and on fixed spots at major sporting events, we'd see a leap of interest in the brand. Hopefully they do something soon after the FF body is available.. Who is going to buy the product if most of the people in the market don't know it exists? It seems many who do know it exists have already bought a digital system... Pentax needs better US marketing!!!!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
K 28mm/2 (rare ?, value ?)	mactansblue	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	30	06-08-2023 09:02 PM
Landscape Rare Precipitation	skid2964	Post Your Photos!	8	12-19-2009 08:50 PM
How rare is this lens?	raymeedc	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	11	11-20-2009 02:31 PM
The rare F50mm f/1.4	coqui	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	9	05-14-2008 06:09 AM
A rare find indeed... !!	Marc Langille	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	19	10-31-2007 01:10 PM

07-07-2015, 07:28 PM	#3886
GeneV Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Albuquerque NM Photos: Albums Posts: 9,830	Originally posted by lgbalfa to the average person, pentax is considered inferior to canon and nikon, that is just a fact. I'm not so sure of this. The average person has no clue about Pentax and does not pretend to. The average Canon or Nikon owner who was told that by a salesperson at a store which did not carry Pentax may say that. I have heard just as many others describe it as an oddball enthusiast camera....the way they see Leica. In my age group, I run into a lot of folks who used Pentax equipment years ago, liked it and just wonder what happened to the company that made it seem to disappear. Last edited by GeneV; 07-07-2015 at 07:40 PM.

07-07-2015, 08:55 PM	#3887
neostyles Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 445	Originally posted by npc Now that K3II has built in gps - someone should write an app that displays where are all the pentaxians in real time It could work like the thing in x men that finds other mutants.

07-11-2015, 01:11 PM	#3888
grhazelton Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Jonesboro, GA Photos: Albums Posts: 1,972	Visited with grandkids at the Atlanta History Center Friday. Wandered the grounds, and had a good time despite the heat. A woman in her late 50s or early 60s carrying a Canon DSLR offered to take our picture, I agreed, she asked "Canon or Nikon? My answer "Pentax" seemed to surprise her, but she did well. I don't recall seeing any other real cameras during our visit. And so it goes.....

07-12-2015, 04:49 AM - 4 Likes	#3889
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	Not rare enough, I'd say! Pentax Rd by ED HELMS, on Flickr

07-12-2015, 06:56 PM	#3890
matt_lin18 Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Kansas Posts: 63	Originally posted by Zafar Iqbal Not rare enough, I'd say! Pentax Rd by ED HELMS, on Flickr That's amazing. A neighborhood where all the streets are named after camera brands. Quote from the image description on original Flickr post. "About 30 minutes from where I live, there is a neighborhood where the streets are named after camera brands, including, Pentax Road, Leica Lane and Minolta Drive, Not the best neighborhood but thought it was cool find." Edit: I found the Google Maps link for the neighborhood. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pentax+Rd,+West+Columbia,+SC+29172/@33.891...b518d864457e23

07-12-2015, 07:25 PM	#3891
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	That is a rough looking neighborhood.. I would suspect there are no Pentax owners on Pentax Rd. And, furthermore, if you carried your Pentax alongside Pentax Rd. you may make someone there the first Pentax 'owner.' hehe ---------- Post added 07-12-15 at 09:28 PM ---------- Titusville, FL: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pentax+Ave,+Titusville,+FL+32796/@28.62833...46ee1682f9fa29 Huntsville, AL: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pentax+Dr,+Huntsville,+AL+35806/@34.742640...9e0fcbf194faaf

07-12-2015, 08:53 PM	#3892
ZombieArmy Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 3,210	I remember when I went to the Lantern Festival at the Morikami Japanese Garden last year in Florida I got a few compliments on my K-01. I also ran into a guy using a film camera, I believe it was a spotmatic.

07-14-2015, 04:19 PM	#3893
plooksta Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 158	I was ringside at the tour de france a couple of days ago with the K5. Opposite me was a gentleman with a K30 (why did that one die out so quickly?). The big pro on the motorbike had a couple of D4s though and some seriously heavy lenses. Pretty much every time I go out and about in busy places I usually see at least one pentax although I'm not especially looking out for them. Usually looking for photos lol! (On a side note, I also shoot with Olympus and Fuji and have noticed a few more Olympus around and quite a lot more Fujis now, especially the XT1)

07-14-2015, 04:28 PM	#3894
wolfiegirl Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Mystery Bay, NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,111	Originally posted by plooksta I was ringside at the tour de france a couple of days ago with the K5. Opposite me was a gentleman with a K30 (why did that one die out so quickly?). The big pro on the motorbike had a couple of D4s though and some seriously heavy lenses. Pretty much every time I go out and about in busy places I usually see at least one pentax although I'm not especially looking out for them. Usually looking for photos lol! (On a side note, I also shoot with Olympus and Fuji and have noticed a few more Olympus around and quite a lot more Fujis now, especially the XT1) I also notice lots of olympus cameras about. In fact the photography course I took that was full of canikons - the instructor had a mirrorless olympus as his backup. It looked pretty swish too. Much more stylish and compact than the k-01. I have no idea what model it was.

07-17-2015, 05:33 AM	#3895
jva59 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,409	Just returned to Toronto from three weeks in Britain and Germany. I had a pleasant chat with a young woman working at the London Review of Books Books shop (a terrific book store and the attached cafe offers respite from the hurly-burly of London) about her Pentax, with which she was shooting pictures of an event at the shop.I think I espied a Pentax or two amidst the sea of Canons and Nikons wielded by tourists in London, but the real surprise came while I was in Berlin and Potsdam, where I saw at least three Pentax shooters, two within ten minutes at Sans Souci in Potsdam!

07-17-2015, 06:34 AM	#3896
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	A newspaper here has a guide about the best dSLR cameras for vacation. They tested 4 and K-S2 is one of them. Sweet - Need a subscription to be able to see the guide though though: Nyt kamera til ferien? Her er de bedste spejlrefleks- kameraer - Elektronik \| www.bt.dk

07-18-2015, 06:37 AM	#3897
SininStyle Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 138	There seem to be a lot of people here with a LOT of experience with cameras. Some of you go pretty far back and can remember the days of old. Normally I would say this is a great thing to have. In this case I think it has created some blinders for some. As a complete "noob" to all things DSLR I can honestly say I have seen only one Pentax commercial, Ad, or flyer, and it was linked on this forum. When I first started looking and researching cameras it took a month before I had even heard the brand Pentax. This was while searching slickdeals for recent sales to gauge the costs to get into photography. I quickly disregarded Pentax as a no name cheap throw away brand. With out pros using them or commercials running people simply have no idea and ignore it completely. Even before getting to the spec sheet they are lost. I almost bought a d3300 but then spotted the white k-50. That white body was enough for me to stop and research Pentax. The deeper I got and more I learned the more I was sold. If Pentax would just spend some money, just once, roll out commercials for a little while. It might be enough to hard wire the next generation of good old boys knowing the difference between the best choice and the common choice.

07-18-2015, 06:41 AM	#3898
Mikesul Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,594	Over the past few months Pentax ads have been appearing occasionally in several of the photo magazines, generally pushing the 645Z or medium range ASP-C cameras. I do not recall seeing an ad for the K-3. We all agree that Pentax should advertise more but that is a decision Pentax marketing seems unwilling to make.

07-18-2015, 06:52 AM	#3899
Trey45 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Dismal Swamp, NC, USA, Earth. Posts: 173	At this weeks Camera Club meeting we had a guest speaker, a certified professional photographer who is one merit away from being a master(This is what he told us and explained what it all meant). I asked if he used full frame or medium format cameras, he said he always uses FF but when he needs to use a MF he rents one. I asked if he ever used a Pentax 645Z MF camera, he asked me "Does Pentax still make cameras?" I had to walk away from him at that point. I simply could not take a "Certified Professional Photographer" seriously after being asked that question by one.

07-18-2015, 07:23 AM - 1 Like	#3900
mee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 7,403	Originally posted by Trey45 I asked if he ever used a Pentax 645Z MF camera, he asked me "Does Pentax still make cameras?" I had to walk away from him at that point. I simply could not take a "Certified Professional Photographer" seriously after being asked that question by one. Decades of not seriously marketing in this country is the reason for this.. I had a somewhat similar experience when talking cameras with my ophthalmologist who just bought a Canon setup.. I said I shoot with Pentax and his response was (paraphrasing) I remember them back in the 70s, I didn't know they were still around. hahaha I think if Ricoh put the money up to start advertising Pentax cameras on TV and on fixed spots at major sporting events, we'd see a leap of interest in the brand. Hopefully they do something soon after the FF body is available.. Who is going to buy the product if most of the people in the market don't know it exists? It seems many who do know it exists have already bought a digital system... Pentax needs better US marketing!!!!